It seemed like a forgone conclusion that the Dallas Cowboys would land one of the better free-agent linebackers this offseason. The need was clear as day, and Dallas had a good chunk of change lying around after trading Micah Parsons.
Sure enough, the Cowboys made serious runs at Nakobe Dean and Quay Walker. They were also in on Devin Lloyd, but weren't willing to go the extra mile to sign him. In the end, Dallas came up empty despite making competitive offers to Dean and Walker, former Georgia teammates who chose to reunite with the Las Vegas Raiders.
The interest in Walker came out of left field, but Dean was widely viewed as a Cowboys target given the team's need at linebacker and his familiarity with defensive coordinator Christian Parker.
Dean's decision initially felt like a gut punch, but it may end up being a blessing in disguise, as he did not participate in Raiders OTAs or mandatory minicamp despite attending the team's media day right before minicamp.
While Las Vegas has downplayed Dean's absence without explanation, any missed time is notable for a player whose durability concerns date back to his time in Athens.
The Dallas Cowboys may have lucked out not signing Nakobe Dean
The mystery of Dean's situation has Raiders expert Levi Dombro of Just Blog Baby worried enough to identify linebacker as one of five "orders of business" Las Vegas should address before training camp.
"Dean missed a majority of the offseason program, including all of OTAs and minicamp," Dombro wrote. "Las Vegas isn't sounding the alarms about his absence, but nobody can argue that his not being out there is a good thing, especially considering his injury history. If he doesn't look like he'll be ready to go for training camp, the Raiders should consider adding another cheap body to compete for a roster spot."
Imagine the Cowboys had to worry about adding another linebacker right now? Some would argue that they should already be looking to upgrade the room, but there'd be even less confidence in the position right now had Dallas landed Dean. The panic would reach a fever pitch.
To be fair, the Cowboys are one injury to DeMarvion Overshown or Dee Winters away from having a crisis on their hands. But the room is fully healthy at this point.
Again, nobody even knows if Dean is injured. Raiders assistant head coach Mike McCoy said that "there's no concern" about Dean's absence, but the following quote makes it sound like the former Philadelphia Eagle is battling something.
"The key thing is to have everybody as fresh as possible, ready to go for the opener," McCoy said.
Maybe Las Vegas is just managing Dean's reps. But if an injury is behind his absence, Dombro and other Raiders may start wondering if signing him to a three-year, $36 million contract ($20 million guaranteed) was a mistake.
While the investment was defensible given his talent and age, it's a significant commitment for a player who's appeared in just 47 of a possible 68 regular-season games since entering the league.
Hopefully, Dean is back practicing for training camp. But the Cowboys, who reportedly made a similar offer, can take some solace in missing out on him for the time being.
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